Amanda PhillipsOnboard Air Transat
There’s a lot to be said for seeing things yourself, and in travel it’s always easier to help a customers make an informed decision if you can talk from personal experience. This is something that Barrhead Travel’s travel consultants know well, so when the opportunity arose to get onboard Air Transat’s Toronto-bound aircraft on the ground at Glasgow Airport early one Thursday morning, despite the early hour required it really wasn’t surprising that there was a bit of a stampede to be on the guest list.
Ten to seven in the morning at the airport saw twelve of the Barrhead Travel team meet at the airport and head through Security to the International Departures area, where they boarded the plane to have a good look around. This is a nice big aircraft – an A330-200 for any plane buffs! – with a very attractive interior and leather seats in every section.
Those sections are Economy Class, Option Plus and Club Class. No prizes for guessing which was every team members’ favourite – Club gives you perks such as a 40kg checked baggage allowance, plus 15kg carry-on, an exclusive check in counter and priority boarding, lovely, spacious leather seats in a separate cabin, travel amenities, a welcome cocktail, complimentary snacks and beverages and 12” individual touch screens. That VIP treatment is something that everyone agreed they could get used to…
Back to reality, and even when trying out the seats in Economy it was decided that it would definitely still be an enjoyable flight on Air Transat, because it felt pretty spacious in comparison to some other airlines. Option Plus is offered too, at an additional charge, which gives more privileges to Economy travellers, including free seat selection, priority check in and boarding, a comfort kit and some snacks and drinks.
Families are really important to the airline, and it recognises that travelling with kids can be incredibly stressful. Air Transat’s Kids Club is designed to make travelling stress free for everyone in the family, and again gives exclusive privileges that help to take the hassle out of holidays.
Chatting to the Air Transat cabin crew on board really helped the team get an insight into the airline and what it’s all about. Despite the fact that they were due to receive the real passengers for the flight in less than half an hour, they were friendly and patient and explained all about the inflight entertainment system – it’s free, and individual, so travellers can choose from a wide selection of movies, TV shows and music via individual touch screens or the local WiFi network, accessible on passengers’ tablets, smartphones and laptops.
All too soon it was time to leave the plane and head back into the terminal building. Rumour has it that some Barrhead Travel employees had to have their fingers prised from the doorway as they wanted to stay on and enjoy a Toronto short break…sadly, it was not to be!